Grumpy Bear

Enkei ST6 17 X 8 +35 Pretty close to an OEM replacement. 28 lbs. they say. Here’s the rub I’m having. Those that have them don’t have them in the offset I want although it is a stock item. Those that don’t have them can get them with some ridiculously long lead time. A few that have them want $50 a wheel or more than most. And a few more have them at a decent enough price but only as a wheel/tire package with some tire I don’t want or need. They are sitting in the Texas warehouse and there isn’t a service number or a contact on the Enkei site to find some relief. These are the spec I want and they actually have them. They are also 25 lbs. Still, I don’t know these people and they haven’t a web presents. I feel a bit stuck. ​I put in a request at Tire Rack to look into a special order. I'll see what that turns up before I give up on Enkei. ​This happens all the time with nearly everything I try to order. Why is this so hard?

I use 0W20 or 5W20 Quaker State UD Syn. in all the cars and trucks no matter what the spec is. My 98 Honda Civic HX called for 10W30 and it got 20W for 300,000 trouble fee miles. Honda told me I would have all sorts of trouble with the VETC. Not a whimper. Then again I might be the only fella on the planet that runs Red LIne automotive 10W40 in an Electra Glide and in an 883 Sportster. I got stories about those last two.

Husky. Like they were vacuum formed right in place. Perfect fit. Thick too. Nice and as you can see, well used.

Another thought not based soley on weight although a few pounds lighter. A brand I actually have some experience with. They were OEM on my first Honda.

This second set?

Well KMC dropped me a line saying they would get me an answer and yet they have not. As the point of the exercise is lower wheel weight and wheel rate… Wife isn’t impressed either. I think it’s more the cost than the look. I really do like them though. That said it doesn’t hurt to keep looking and continued search found these. Even American Racing is made in China now so it hardly matters these Ultras are. I certainly can’t afford Foose. These are half the money. ​Oh, they are close to factory spec measurement. That is 17 x 8 with a +25 mm offset. ​Late correction; Ultra and the outlet, Tire Rack do not seem to agree on wheel weights. So the photo I had posted earlier (Mako) picked from Tire Rack that showed a 25 lbs. wheel is actually 31 according to Ultra. This wheel (Rogue) is show on Tire Rack as 25 lbs. but is actually 26. Devil is in the details. ​Click on truck photo for larger view.

30,000 mile service. 5 qt. Quaker State 0-20 Ultimate Durability and a Purolator filter. Rotate the tires and give it a good look over. All is good except it's filthy dirty.

​​How does it ride and drive vs stock?

WOW! If they are light enough, me and da wife is have'n a conversation. Those ROCK. Can you say ROCK at my age? ​Click on the photo and blow it up. Thoughts welcome.

Today I found nine more records preceeding the current string with one overlapping the current record to date adding eight to the string for improved accuracy. Each fills median value is 18.67 gallons. I have the SG set for 19 to empty, it showing 18.94 median gallons per fill. A bit over a quarter gallon error favoring the pump. Median distance driven per tank 476 miles. 11,488 mile of record using 451.9 meaured gallons = 25.42 mpg. +/- .961 Fill variation of about a quarter gallon accounts for about .35 mpg plus minus the average. More than half the signal noise. Referece post #42: 29.33; +/- .84 mpg for six cycles at 50 mph of hypermiling. We (I) know have an answer to a few questions. Driving technique and use of the Scan Gauge saves 15% in fuel. Half the advertised and still worth its cost. My “normal’ driving style still nets better than the EPA ‘sticker’ average which according to common complains is a major coup. New points on the graph are to the left.

19 F is what the truck air temperature said. The coolant and transmission indicators were in agreement. Pepper had been sitting for days. A single puff of water vapor exited the tailpipe when the motor caught having spun a revolution or two excess the normal. I gave her a second to bring the oil pressure up. About as long as it took me to put on my sunglasses and the instrumentation to cycle. It was a bright day with a light north wind. Backing out of the drive silent as her shadow. Reaching the street I find drive and amble through the neighborhood toward the county road. I have time to scroll the instrument cluster and check the tire pressure and remind myself I put her away full. Good, there will be no stops today to delay an already late beginning to an otherwise long days drive. I peg this a 7 hour drive. The 4.3 is a cold blooded creature and the fuel monitor shows it. Scan Gauge showing 7 mpg in the half mile to the highway and a 5 mpg average. I put the heater on recycle, the heat on high and leave the fan off waiting for my 150 F marker. The minimum I can expect something from the vents that resembles heat. First town in 2 miles away due west and I approach it at 50 mph in high gear coolant reading 130 F and trans 65 F. It drops back a few through town at the 30 mph speed limit. We won’t hit 150 F until Fairdale a few more miles down the road. I put the fan on low and watch it dip to 148 F as I slow to the 45 mph speed limit. Then rise slowly as I set the cruise to 55 mph. The state secondary speed limit. I will be in Stillman Valley 21 miles away before the gauge reaches something over 200 F. At Byron the thermostat is playing with the idea of opening when I get to Mickey D’s. Time for some breakfast. The gauge falls back as I sit in the drive through and note that mileage fall from 22 to 20 during the wait. Any day now would be good. The drive girl thinks the Truck Fox is cute and giggles like school girls do. Why do they call this fast food? I head west on the exit of town following state route 72 leaving the more picturesque 2 along the river for another day. My aunt is waiting for her visit. At 82 and in a nursing home she cherishes them. At the 27 mile mark the thermostat finally pegs 213, opens and drops to 198 in seconds, cycles a few times and settles in at 204 a few under its engineering set 207. Finally. Crank up the heat and now my body is warming to the level of my hand holding my coffee. Trans temp, 130 F. I will be in Mt. Carrol at the 73 mile mark when it rises above 160 F. The point lubricant is its most lubricous. It will reach 180 F by the time I cross the Mississippi some 95 miles from home and never venture above 185 for the day. I reach Monticello 150 miles from home to the tenth in 3 hours and 18 minutes and have a trip average 24.2 mpg. An average 45.45 mph although the resolution on the instrument panel give 45 mph and my cruise set point has been 55 mph save those first 3 miles of the day done at 50. Two hours later it’s time to say goodbye and head for home and dinner. Those 5 mph north winds are going to hold for the entire trip. Having set for two hours things are cooled off but not dead cold. Just under a hundred on the transmission and about 75 for the coolant. I get the thermostat open in under 15 miles but I will be in Preston Iowa some 60 miles from my start before the trans is back to 180. Return mileage is over 25 mpg before I make 20 miles and finishes the day at 26.5 mpg for this leg of the trip. 9.5% higher on the return thanks to a warmer starting point even though the air temp never gets over freezing for the day. I take one small deviation from the outbound path as the crow flies that shaves 4 miles from the trip. 146 miles in 3 hours and 6 minutes. 47.11 mph for the return due to lighter traffic in towns along the way and my short reroute bypassing on town entirely. I love rural America. On the way home at 450th place and Iowa state road 64 she rolls over 20 K and I have just under a hundred to go to home. Just a small amount of preheat makes a large difference in fuel usage on trips like this. Even more so when the trips are much shorter. That's good to know. Doesn't have to be up to operating temperature to reap 90% of the benefit. 20,000 / 511 = 39.14 mph life time average.

So…about to break 20,000 miles. A milestone of sorts. Means an oil change. A tire rotation and I scheduled some time on the alignment rack for a look see. Thing is the weather isn’t going to cooperate. Forecast is 5 inches Monday. Some more Tuesday and again on Thursday. That means salt and it means baby goes to sleep next week instead of making the trip to Deegan’s for service on Thursday. We have just under 8/32 of the original 10/32 tread depth in the center two ribs and 7/32 on the outer two ribs. Looks like this set will go 40-50K. The alignment rack is to check toe, camber, trust angle and steer ahead. I’ve made a religion out of tire pressure and still something is wearing the edges a bit more than my mind says is normal but it is dead even over all four tires. Maybe it’s nothing and sadly it will be awhile before I get it sorted out now with the delay.

Thanks!!

The box corner protectors came today. Now I need a bit of cooperation from the weather. Having seen them up close I feel a bit silly asking how they mount. Oh well. Thanks anyway (for not laughing too hard). ​I will need it warm enough to fix the chip it will cover meaning over 55 F for an afternoon. I will seal these depending on fit up. Nothing like trapping salt solution and road grit behind something it will be near impossible to clean behind. ​

23469126 23469127

I love a simple answer to a simple question. That was a great help. Thank you.

How do they install? Counter guy had no idea.

Today I ordered the set of box paint protectors. The ones that go on the lower front edge just behind the cab. Place the rock chip is. $43 for the pair. OUCH. Still cheaper than paint. FYI the chip is in the chip proof rubberized paint they spray on the lower 6" of the truck to prevent that from happening. How's that for a testimonial? Nice job GM. Told me they will be a week coming and getting drop shipped to my address. Hey, might be warm enough to paint by then. Sundays forecast bombed out.

14 tanks of fuel are in this calibration sequence. This chart shows the six point moving average error between the gallons the pump shows filled vs the gallons the Scan Gauge II is recording as used. It looks like a lot. About a third of a gallon. But it isn’t as bad as it looks. It's a third of a gallon in an average 18.3 gallons per fill. This translates to Scan Gauge II giving a MPG average that is in fact only 4/10 of a gallon less than the actual calculated number subject to the same six point average. I did wish this to read pessimistic as you recall. Under a half gallon is pretty tight but… Can I make it closer? I didn’t think so earlier as the individual fills have a pretty large standard deviation. Quarter of a gallon in fact. That’s allot of signal noise. That said the standard deviation is two thirds the six point moving average error which says I have an opportunity to cut the error maybe 30% without getting optimistic readings for fuel usage if I'm patient. It’s a longer term study. ​On another note: Picked up a nasty rock chip in the box. Front lower passenger side. Another project for a warmer day. Sunday maybe. Rumor has it in the 60's. I need 55F to paint. I'll pick my shot.

Yea, it’s only February. I know. So let’s call it some Pre-spring cleaning. No carpet at the WT1 trim level and the rubber flooring isn’t as durable as one might hope for. Hard to clean and it pills when scrubbed hard enough to remove the ground in. Worse, it’s been a pretty dry winter here and I don’t drive it in inclement weather unless trapped during an outing as was a recent case. That said, before it wore threw I wished to add some protection. Matts are ridiculously expensive and the liners don’t fit right without factory carpeting and the hold downs those employ. Rectangular braided matts are cheap, Fit like a glove in this truck and cleaning is as easy as a new set.

I'm more than good with the AFM in my 2015 1500. No switching issues. No oil usage. No blues. Smooth as a kitten. Just clicked over 19K on the clock. 5993 miles, 240.677 gallons = 24.90 MPG. What's not to like?

The difference between the fill and usage as recorded by the Scan Gauge. This is over 5500 miles and 12 fills with four in each state of calibraition. As you can see I've overshot the mark and on the last fill backed out 1/10 of a gallon of correction. I was hoping to find a mark that keep the Scan Gauge pesimistic but I don't have a fine enough adjustment to make that happen. We will settle then on over/under.

$65 repair. Is it like new? No. Minor tear in the lower rubber lip and one clip mount broke out but to replace both repair cost goes over a grand. And this boys and girls is how it starts.

Got my "Truck Fox Report" today.

Took it Deegan's today to let Jason have a look and determine if it is job he wanted. Yep! Goes in Wednesday for a Face Lift. The line between wrench and body man is getting blurry these days. I'm thankful for that.